If there’s an iconic scene in movies, it will always involve food. Why? Just like the actual film we’re watching, they transport us, make us laugh, and even cry. Yup, we’re talking about that romantic spaghetti dinner scene to a food made by a… rat. Many of these moments have been engraved in pop culture. Today, we’re bringing you 12 of the most memorable food scenes.
10. Elf (2003) – Bizarre Spaghetti
If you’re wondering what a Christmas elf eats for breakfast, check out Buddy the Elf’s routine. In a scene that became a viral food challenge, Buddy enjoys a breakfast of spaghetti topped with maple syrup, chocolate syrup, marshmallows, and crushed Pop-Tarts. Actor Will Ferrell actually ate the bizarre combination during filming to show the childishness of his character.
9. Annie Hall (1977) – The Great Lobster Escape
There’s a first for everything, and it probably happened in the set of Annie Hall. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton attempted to cook live lobsters during filming. The scene shows that lobsters scuttle across the kitchen floor when they escaped from a paper bag. The actors shriek in terror and delight. This moment shows the hilarious, messy relationship that audiences have with cooking.
8. The Hours (2002) – The Anxiety of an Egg
How can separating an egg be so stressful? In The Hours, Meryl Streep played a 1950s housewife who attempted to make a cake for her husband. When her estranged lover suddenly came, the precise cracking and separation of eggs built the pressure that she was feeling.
7. The Gold Rush (1925) – The Dance of the Dinner Rolls
Long before CGI, there was Charlie Chaplin and his use of two forks and a couple of dinner rolls. In this silent film classic, Chaplin’s character, a lonely prospector, dreams of entertaining his love interest. He proceeds to perform a dance with two dinner rolls, transforming them into tiny dancing shoes. This scene is one of the earliest and most memorable food moments in cinema history!
6. Matilda (1996) – The Chocolate Cake Punishment
Who could ever forget the scene where Bruce Bogtrotter was forced to eat an entire chocolate cake as punishment? It started as a cruel punishment from the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull that turned into rebellion. When Bruce was encouraged by his classmates to take the final bite, he licked the platter clean while his peers cheered, thus the birth of the famous “Mathilda chocolate cake” scene.
5. Beauty and the Beast (1991) – A Culinary Cabaret
Aside from the actual Beauty and the Beast song, Be Our Guest is one of the popular songs from the movie’s soundtrack. The candelabra Lumière led the chorus of the singing and dancing dishes, preparing a feast for Belle. Reportedly, the animators studied French cuisine to make sure the food looked delicious as they consulted with real chefs. The result? A table of beef ragout, cheese soufflé, and pie and pudding “en flambe.”
4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) – A Pastry and a Dream
If you could name one of the most iconic movie openings of all time, then many would probably name Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The opening showed Audrey Hepburn in a black dress and pearls nibbling on a pastry while gazing into the window of Tiffany & Co. The scene was so iconic that there have been countless recreations and Halloween costumes of Hepburn’s character as Holly Golightly.
3. Ratatouille (2007) – A Bite of Childhood
In Ratatouille, food critic Anton Ego was served a dish that was prepared by a rat. While everyone was anticipating his one bite, Ego was transported back to his childhood, exactly in his mother’s kitchen. To achieve this level of authenticity, the Pixar animation team actually consulted with renowned chefs like Thomas Keller of The French Laundry.
2. Pulp Fiction (1994) – The Philosophy of a Quarter Pounder
In Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, characters Jules and Vincent have a mundane conversation about the different names for McDonald’s menu items in Europe. It takes place just moments before a violent confrontation. Funny enough, it was just a casual conversation about Vincent’s trip to Amsterdam and the different cultural differences he saw.
1. When Harry Met Sally (1989) – “I’ll Have What She’s Having”
One of the most iconic scenes in movie history is a suggestion by Meg Ryan. In a read-through for When Harry Met Sally, the script originally called for a simple conversation. But Ryan, as she is, wanted to act it out. It was actually filmed at the real-life Katz’s Deli in New York City. The moment is capped off by the perfect punchline, delivered by Reiner’s own mother: “I’ll have what she’s having.” If you visit Katz’s Deli, the table where the scene was filmed has a plaque that reads, “Where Harry met Sally… we hope you have what she had!”